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Christmas offerings 2023
A larger number of people took part in our carol singing around local pubs and hostelries on Friday 8th December this year. Encouraged by our singing, and with contactless donation kit, we collected a massive £610.29 for Lewisham Foodbank. Thank you to all who took part and donated.
Remembering that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were refugees in Egypt soon after his birth, our Christmas Day offering was to support local asylum seekers though the work of Lewisham Churches for Asylum Seekers (LewCAS). This is a small local charity, so our Christmas offering makes a real difference to them. Wwe raised over £305.
Also or Christmas, the raffle and draw for two lovely hampers raised an excellent £315.00 towards our building for the future project. Thank you.
The Grove Centre Church service for Christian Aid Week on 14th May raised £236.20. Our local house to house collections raised £206.78.
The Quiz Night in April raised £405-50p for Building for the Future. Thanks to all - especially Carole - who made this event so sucessful.
Christmas Offerings 2022
Gifts from the congregation meant that we were able to send £362.00 in total to the Foodbank, including £152 from carol singing in December.
Our Christmas appeal for LewCAS (local asylum seekers) raised £242.30
Christmas Hamper raffle
Our lovely hamper was won by a member of Befrienders group. The raffle raised a splendid £230 towards our Building Project. Thank you to Judith Warren for creating it for us, and to everyone who bought tickets to take part in our fund raising.
Carol Singing for the Foodbank
Carol singing around local hostelries raised £152, which with further gifts has meant that we were able to send £187 to the foodbank. That was in addition to the generous donation of food gifts at our Gift Service held on 4th December, also for distribution via the Foodbank. Thank you.
Table Top Sale - Saturday 6 November
This raised over £1,000 towards Building for the Future.
Harvest Gifts – Lewisham Foodbank and BMS “Good Land” appeal
At our Harvest service on 2nd October we collected a generous load of food and toiletry goods for Lewisham Foodbank. We delivered them to the Foodbank in Hope Centre, 118 Malham Rd, Forest Hill. We were warmly greeted by the staff and volunteers on duty. Thank you to everyone who supported the Foodbank with your gifts.
We also took a collection on behalf of the Baptist World Mission Harvest Appeal, for work in Nepal. Our service brought to life the hopes and dreams of a remote village community of Ghusel and the work that BMS partners do there. We raised £343 from gifts and BMS will be able to add £46.25 from gift aid.
The”Harvest Bring and Share Lunch” was a good meal and community catch-up for all who took part.
Table top sale – Saturday 11 June
This event raised over £1,000 towards Building for the Future. Thanks to all involved, and especially to Carole Eaton, Alison Cutts and David Williams for their organising efforts on this.
Platinum Jubilee Party – Sunday 5 June
9th Sydenham Cubs & Beavers put on a right royal party and some unforgettable entertainment, with help from our talented pianist Brian. Thanks to everyone who made it a special once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Christian Aid Week - 15-21 May
Following our Christian Aid Week service, seven members of the congregation took part in house-to-house collections. There was a surprisingly warm response from some householders, including one who had kept his envelope ready for collection since May 2021, and a child who told her impressed father that she had learned about Christian Aid Week at school and knew about Zimbabwe. Over £1,200 has been raised for Christian Aid through the Sunday offering and from donations collected from local streets combined. Thank you to all collectors, and those who gave donations to support Christian Aid’s work across the world.
The Simnel Cake raffle in March raised £129 towards the Building Project – with sincere thanks to David Williams.
Christmas Appeal 2021
Our Christmas appeal raised £387 for LewCAS, which is made up of representatives from churches of all denominations in the London Borough of Lewisham who share its aim of relieving poverty and advancing education amongst asylum seekers in South East London.
Mayor's Award
The Grove Centre Church has received the Mayor of Lewisham's Award for "valuable contribution within the Borough's Community response to COVID-19". This is in recogniton of all the hard work that we have done in bringing hot healthy lunches to our community..
Lunch Delivery Service (1 September 20)
The recent Sydenham Society Newsletter has highlighted the Grove Centre Church’s response to lockdown in changing our long running Lunch Service into a Delivery Lunch Service, so that we can continue to serve our community. A hot Main Course & Dessert is taken to elderly, vulnerable or isolating people for the same price as before - only £3.80! This is available to residents in Sydenham & Forest Hill, 4 days a week.
The article points out that delivery volunteers follow strict social distancing procedures, leaving meals by the door, knocking, and waiting at a distance to ensure people receive their lunches safely..
Comedy Night January 2020
The Comedy Night night raised £1,001.17 for Building Fund
Christmas Fund-raising 2019
We raised £347.00 from Carol singing for Lewisham Foodbank, and £289.00 from Christmas day service for St Christopher's Fellowship